Show & Tell Friday 11/14

Hip Hip Hoo-Ray ! It's time for Show & Tell Friday !
Graciously hosted by Kelli @ There's no place like home.
Be sure to pay her a visit and see who else is sharing today.





These pieces were given to me by the former Mrs. Owner (Linda) of my home. She was the sweetest lady, so gracious and was generous to the point of amazement. Read on and you'll see why. The item on the left is a tea light holder and when the light is aflame, it glows so beautifully. The next is a small pitcher and bowl set. I use it to hold small knick knacks, safety pins, buttons and on occasion, a flower or two. These are special to me because of how they came to be mine. As I said earlier, the former "Mrs." of the home gifted them to me when we moved here. My hubbs and I had been looking to buy a home for quite some time and no matter how we tried, no home became ours. We were outbid so many times, and even when we offerred full price and then some, we'd still be outbid. This was very discouraging and we were even beginning to discuss putting off buying a home of our own. Hubbs said, after our last "outbid" that we were "done"! That next Sunday we saw in our local paper a home for sale not to far from where we were renting. We weren't even looking in our immediate area because we were outpriced here and were looking further "inland". This house was also listed out of our price range but we decided to take a look anyway. That afternoon we decided to drive by the property and take a peek. The house was undergoing a clean up and face lift and being a Sunday, there was no one around. Hubbs suggested I drive by the next day and see if I couldn't speak with someone. That next day I did just that and met the owners who happened to be doing all the work on the home themselves. There were the nicest people and I had such a good feeling upon meeting them. I explained that Hubbs and I had been looking for a home for quite some time and that we'd yet to find one. I was invited to look at the home but to "please" look past the mess. From the moment I walked into this house I felt "good". The house just felt good. If that makes any sense. It wasn't anything like we'd been looking for, it was smaller then I'd hoped for, but it literally "touched" me. I can't explain it. It was in the area we hoped to be in, and it was close to my stepdaughter so Hubbs and we could remain close if she or her mom needed anything. After my tour of the property, I spoke candidly with the Mr. Owner and told him what we'd been approved for, what we had to spend and then asked the listing price. My heart fell when he named a price that was over $12,000 over our price range. Then he said, "Why don't you have your husband take a drive over here and we'll talk about this". I called my hubbs as soon as I got home and hubbs even left work early. We drove over to the "little house" and my hubbs spoke with Mr. Owner as I sat in the living area with Mrs. Owner. I remember rocking my youngest son so hard out of my own nervousness. A bit later the men came into the home with smiles on their faces. Mr. Owner had accepted the amount we'd been approved for, paid our closing costs and a few additional costs as well. Even more amazing is that the offer was a Gentleman's Acceptance. There was no paperwork involved at that moment. He accpeted our word that we'd have the money and what not! They said they just wanted to be sure the home was going to go to a loving family where the laughter of kids would once again be present. Then Mrs. Owner began to share stories of how her own kids ran up and down the hall, hid in the phone cubby and shared the room in the corner. Here we are eight years later and their wish and ours came true. The laughter of children does ring loud and clear, as do that of their parents. We're creating our own memories in the "little house". There was so much they did to make this house ready for us. From painting inside and out, to upgrading the carpet and padding so that our littlest child wouldn't get hurt when he stumbled as he was learning to walk. Mrs. Owner even took me out to pick out the vinyl for the kitchen floor. They went the extra mile on so many things. I believe that God wanted us in this home, that we weren't able to buy the others that we bid on because He didn't want us there. He wanted us to be here, to meet Mr & Mrs Owner, to pay it forward when we can and remember how blessed and fortunate we are.
I still get Christmas Cards from Mrs. Owner and grieved with her when Mr. Owner passed. I often wonder if they know how big the gift they gave us when they sold us the "little house". You see we bought the "little house" just a few months before the huge housing boom. Had we waited, we would never have been able to buy anywhere during that time. Imagine, at it's peak we were priced out of our own neighborhood! LOL!

This is where my treasures are currently residing. On my vanity in my bedroom. I see them everyday, remember how this has all come to pass and give "Thanks" everyday.


Thanks for spending a bit of your Friday with me. Now be sure to make a visit over to Kelli's for more "show & tell".